William Whitney Christmas
William Whitney Christmas, M.D. was a physician, pioneer aviator, and supposed con man. He was one of many claimants for an early design of the aileron. He was a vice-president of the General Development Corporation.Biography
He was born in September 1, 1865 in Warrenton, North Carolina to James Yancey Christmas and Rhoda Gaines. He attended the St. John's Military Academy then the University of Virginia where he obtained a bachelor degree and a masters degree. He graduated from George Washington University in 1905 with an M.D.
He married May Norris in 1899 in Maryland, and they had as their son, Whitney Norris Christmas.
He designed the Christmas Bullet in 1918; the airplane had no wing struts and crashed on its maiden flight, killing the pilot. He then built a second aircraft with the same unstable design which also crashed on its maiden flight, killing the pilot.
In retirement he was still proposing improbable aeroplane designs.
He died at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, New York City of pneumonia on April 14, 1960.Aircraft
Aircraft designed by Christmas, some of which never left the drawing board, but most introduced some novel aviation patent or other.
